Changes
by DaisyG80
Summary: After returning to the prison with Merle, Daryl knows things have to change. Carol was right - he really had come far. There was really only one thing he still wanted to change but he didn't know how or even if he was too late. Rated T for language, rating may change in later chapters. This is my first Walking Dead fic - reviews are welcome and appreciated! Now complete!
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This is my first Walking Dead fic. I actually only started watching the show about a month ago – and yet I have made it through the first 3 seasons…twice. Season four will have to wait for Netflix to catch up. _**

**_For anyone who reads my CSI fics…I am so sorry I haven't updated recently. I have lost my mojo at the moment for CSI but I promise I will be getting back to that soon._**

**_This story takes place during Season 3 after Daryl and Merle arrive at the prison._**

Chapter 1

Carol stood at the small stove preparing a stew for the evening meal. She was very aware of the two brothers sitting at the table just feet from her. To say things had been tense at the prison since Daryl came back with Merle in tow would be an understatement. Of course most of the contention came directly from the eldest Dixon. She shook her head, frowning, thinking that if Merle could manage to keep his damn mouth shut for more than a minute at a time things might just become manageable.

She glanced over to the table and had to smile a little. They were polar opposites no matter what the two stubborn men thought. For as loud and obnoxious as Merle was, Daryl was quiet and compassionate – though he worked hard to keep that side of himself from showing. About thirty minutes earlier the brothers walked into the makeshift dining/kitchen area and sat down at the table where Daryl began to disassemble and clean his crossbow and bolts. Merle had barely said a word the entire time, which she thought was not only a miracle but probably the longest he had ever gone without being a dickhead. Carol had to suppress a small laugh at that thought and saw Merle's head come up at the sound. She nodded at him and saw one corner of his mouth lift before he returned to watching Daryl.

A few minutes later Carol heard soft steps approaching and recognized them as Beth's a moment before she appeared around the corner to stand next to Carol. Beth gave her shy smile which Carol returned with a squeeze to the young girl's shoulder.

"Judith is finally asleep. I'm going right back but I never got a chance to tell you how sorry I am about Axel." Though Beth was talking quietly, Carol saw Daryl look up quickly before returning his attention to the task in front of him.

"Thank you, Beth. I appreciate that." Carol smiled warmly at the girl's concern and, thinking that Beth had said what she came to, turned back to the stove. But she continued:

"I know how close you and Axel were becoming. It must have been horrible to be out there together…and then for that to happen. I'm really sorry, Carol." Beth threw her arms around Carol and hugged her tight while Carol stood there, frozen and deeply confused. "He was a good man and he really cared about you."

The conversation had taken on a very surreal quality and Carol just patted Beth on the shoulder and tried to figure out what the girl was talking about. Axel had taken to following Carol like a puppy dog once he found out she wasn't a lesbian and the attention was flattering but she would hardly say there were "close." A quick glance at the table had her cheeks flaming. Merle was staring at her with interest and Daryl was obviously listening but not giving up the pretense of re-assembling his crossbow though he seemed to just be picking a piece just to put it right back down again.

"Uh…thanks. He was a good man. I'm sure we will all miss him," she patted Beth's arm again, hoping the conversation was over. Finally, Beth released her and stepped back, sniffing.

"I'll go check on Judith," she said with a small smile and walked back into the cell block.

For a moment Carol just stood there trying to figure what was going on in that girls head. With a small shake of her head, she turned back to the stove.

"My, my, my. Little Mouse found herself a boyfriend in the penn?" Carol could have cheerfully strangled Beth right about then for starting this. Instead she chose to ignore Merle standing up and walking toward her, instead keeping her eyes on the pan in front of her. "What happened to that worthless, piece of shit you were married to?"

Sensing a golden opportunity, Carol turned to look Merle right in the eye and said: "I put a pickaxe through his head. Three or four times. Don't rightly recall." She almost grinned in satisfaction at the look of shock on his face and the step he took back from her before he recovered. She could swear she heard a snicker from Daryl's direction but didn't break eye contact with Merle.

"Pickaxe, huh?" To her surprise he looked impressed.

"Hmm." She turned back to dinner.

"Where's your daughter? Haven't seen her running around here." He said this with no malice, just curiosity but she felt the blood drain from her face just the same. In an instant, Daryl was on his feet and heading toward them.

"Merle, leave her alone." Carol put up a hand and he stopped, waiting.

Taking a calming breath and squaring her shoulders, Carol turned back to Merle. "She died. Last year. She was bit and Rick had to…put her down." The sympathy she saw in the older man's eyes surprised her.

"I'm sorry. Truly." Hesitantly, he reached out and touched her arm and she nodded before turning away again. Merle cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. She should have known that wouldn't last.

"You know, Carol, if you're into con's, I'm available." She looked up at him in shock and laughed when he waggled his eyebrows at her. Then she laughed even harder at the ridiculousness of his come on. "Damn, woman, it wasn't that funny," he muttered as he walked back to the table. He looked at Daryl, "Must be losing my touch, Little Brother. Proposition a woman and she laughs 'til her sides are splittin'."

"Whatever, Merle. You're an asshole." Daryl said this with his usual quiet tone and sounded utterly disgusted with his brother. That just made Carol laugh even harder until tears were streaming from her eyes. After a few minutes she was able to get ahold of herself but when she looked at the two of them, wearing nearly identical expressions of confusion at her mirth she nearly burst out laughing all over again.

Carol wiped the tears from her face and shook her head. "Thank you, Merle. I needed that. I can't remember the last time I laughed like that." He glowered at her but she could tell he wasn't really upset. She glanced at Daryl and the smile died on her lips. The look on his face was a mixture of hurt, confusion, anger, and what she might have mistaken for jealously had it been anyone other than Daryl Dixon. Without a word he got up from the table, gathered his crossbow and walked into the cell block leaving a stunned Carol and Merle standing there looking after him.

…

Daryl stomped through the cell block heading for the upper level cell he had claimed when he had come back to the prison with Merle. Thankfully, the cell was his alone – Merle had his own space at the other end of the block, preferring to be as far away as possible from the close knit group. He climbed the stairs quickly, feeling an anger he hadn't felt in a long time and he really wasn't certain where it was coming from. Stepping into his cell, Daryl put his crossbow on the top bunk and flopped down on the bottom. He laid there for a few minutes staring at the underside of the bed above him trying to figure out who he was more angry with.

He was seriously pissed at the dead man, Axel, for even thinking about Carol let alone getting close to her as Beth had said. Daryl was pissed at Merle for the same reason. He had recognized the look of interest on his brother's face as Merle had walked up to Carol. And then the asshole had made her laugh. He hadn't heard Carol laugh in a long time and he really hated that Merle was the reason for her laugh instead of him. He felt an unreasonable fury directed at Carol though. He hadn't even been gone an entire day before she was carrying on with that con. Not that Daryl had any claim on her but she can't have been too worried about him if she was playing nice with Axel. Had she flirted with him the way she had with Daryl? Just the thought made his jaw tighten and his head begin to pound.

What the hell was wrong with him? Daryl took a deep breath trying to calm himself. It wasn't like he had ever given Carol a reason to think he was interested in her, though he had already begun to notice her back at the Quarry. There had always been an excuse to keep his distance from her despite his attraction but the truth was he didn't know how to talk to her. He didn't have the first clue about women. Before the world ended he had been embarrassed that he had never had sex let alone be in a relationship. After the apocalypse it really didn't seem that important anymore. Even Merle didn't know the extent of his inexperience and Daryl planned on keeping it that way.

He had decided he and Carol would remain friends. Being able to see her everyday would be enough for him. But that was before he realized that just because he was willing to keep their relationship platonic she might want more and would find another man to fill her needs.

"Hell, no. Ain't gonna happen," he muttered to himself. Daryl was surprised to realize what he was feeling was jealousy but he shrugged it off. It didn't matter if he was jealous. She belonged to him as surely as he belonged to her. She just didn't know it yet.

"Daryl?" He looked up, seeing Beth hovering in the open doorway to his cell.

"What?" Daryl went back to staring at the bunk above him, hoping she would get take the hint. No such luck.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She was so damn soft spoken and timid it set his teeth on edge sometimes. He sighed and sat up, swinging his feet to the floor.

"What's up, Beth?"

The young girl took a breath and squared her shoulders as though trying to gear up for what she had to say.

"When Rick came back and told us that you and Merle had set out on your own, everyone was upset. It hurt Carol the most though. That you left without even saying goodbye." Daryl looked away from her gaze, feeling ashamed of the hurt he had caused. "I told Carol I was pissed at you for leaving." He looked up in surprise. He hadn't really spent any time around Beth so it wasn't like they were close.

"Carol told me not to be mad at you. That you have honor and that the world needs more men like you in it. She understood why you left and even though it hurt her she accepted that it was something you had to do. But she misunderstood me. I wasn't pissed that you left _us_. I was pissed that you left _her_." With that said, Beth turned and walked away, leaving Daryl to think about what she had said.

He had told Rick that Carol would understand why he had to leave though he had not been one hundred percent certain that was true. It turned out he was right. She seemed to know him better than he knew himself sometimes. Daryl hunched over with his elbows on his knees, propping his head in his hands. He knew now things couldn't go on like they had been. If just the thought of Carol with another man made him sick to his stomach and his head pound, there was no way he would be able to stand by and actually watch it happening. He knew it would too. She was a good woman, kind, strong, and beautiful. He thought back to the look on his brother's face when he had approached Carol. Him and Merle would have to have a talk, and soon.

Yes, things had to change. But how? How the hell did he go about this? It wasn't like he could ask her on a date. He was no good with talking to her about personal shit. He could never quite look at her and got so nervous he could barely speak. This was going to be impossible.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and for reading! I'm not too certain where this story will take me but I don't plan on it being more than a couple more chapters but we will see what happens. Happy reading!_**

Chapter 2

Merle watched in surprised silence as Daryl stomped out of the common room. He glanced at Carol and saw the same surprise in her expression. All at once, everything made sense. Why Daryl had been so damned determined to get back to the prison. He knew there were other reasons but Merle was certain now that the most important reason for his baby brother to go back to the prison had been Carol all along. He smiled to himself, deciding to test the waters, and headed back to the table to sit down.

"Don't you worry about Little Darylina. He gets his panties in a twist over every little thing," Merle purposely kept his tone condescending and watched for Carol's reaction. He wasn't disappointed and she slammed the wooden spoon she had been using down onto the stove so hard he was a little surprised it didn't crack in half.

"Don't do that," she said in a low, angry tone. "Don't tear him down, Merle Dixon. He's been through plenty, before and after the world went to shit, without you being his case." Merle could see her hand shaking in anger and felt pride in himself that he could pretty much manipulate any situation that he wanted to if he set his mind to it. He watched silently as she abruptly turned off the stove and walked slowly toward him.

"Daryl may not be the man you want him to be, Merle, but he doesn't need to be the man _you_ want him to be. He is a good man. The best I have ever known – and you will not try to destroy that, do you hear me? Leave him be." With that she turned on her heel and walked into the cell block leaving him smirking and watching after her.

_So Carol is in love with my Little Brother,_ he thought to himself. He was also fairly certain Daryl loved her right back but they both were so wrapped up in their insecurities and baggage from their former lives they couldn't see what was right in front of them. Merle knew he hadn't done enough to protect Daryl when they were kids and it ate at him when he let himself think about it for too long. They were both so screwed up. He understood that he was damaged beyond repair or redemption but he thought there was still hope for Daryl.

As much as Daryl tried to appear to be violent, hateful, and uncaring, he had always been more sensitive. Not in a touchy feely way of course but he cared about people. He had always wanted to do the right thing. Merle felt a touch of remorse thinking about all the times he had harassed, teased, and humiliated Daryl into doing things he wouldn't normally – like their plan to rob the camp back at the Quarry. Back then they had only had each other and he knew Daryl would do whatever he wanted to keep Merle from taking off. So when Merle came up with the idea to rob and run Daryl had gone along with it.

Carol was wrong though. He didn't want Daryl to be a bad person but for a long time he wanted to believe that Daryl had come out their same shitty childhood as fucked up as he was. Merle didn't want to think that Daryl was stronger than him. And that was really what it came down to. After their mother burnt to death in bed, Merle spent the next several years being physically and mentally tortured by their father. He ended up a mean, angry criminal with a drug addiction. The rage inside him flowed constantly he lashed out at everyone, hurting anyone he could either through physical violence or manipulation.

But Daryl was stronger than he was. He could admit that to himself now. Not to anyone else, of course, but Merle knew that he was the weak one. Daryl was several years younger than Merle, which meant that he had to endure the abuse from their father for a lot longer in addition to the pain the Merle himself inflicted upon his baby brother. And yet, here they were, in this new world together again but still so different. Merle had used his rage to do the dirty work for the Governor. Without the negative influence from Merle, Daryl had become a confident and valued member of his group. He obviously still had issues with letting people get close to him but he had become his own man.

It really made Merle feel like shit.

…

Carol could hardly believe what she had said to Merle. She was still so surprised at herself and angry with the man that she barely remembered making her way to her cell and sitting down on the bed. She didn't regret anything she had said but Merle had always intimidated her before. When he started in on Daryl she couldn't help herself. Daryl had done so much for her and for the whole group and he deserved better than that.

She had meant what she said when she told Daryl that his brother wasn't good for him and the change in Daryl since he came back proved it. It wasn't that he was a completely different person or that he had slipped back into his old habits but he was more withdrawn than he had been in a long time. She understood what Daryl was going through. He wanted to just be himself but he didn't really know who that was because he had spent his entire life being what other people needed him to be. She understood because her life had always been the same way. Daryl was the only person who didn't expect something from her. With him she didn't feel the need to fill a role. The cook, the one who takes care of the laundry, the nurse, the guard at the gate or in the tower. She could simply be his friend. With everyone else she had always had a label: the battered wife; the mother of a dead girl.

But not with Daryl and she valued that more than anything: the ability to be herself without worrying about disappointing him or letting him down. So she was a little protective of him. She laughed softly at herself. Okay, she was a lot protective of him. He needed someone to watch out for him whether he would admit it or not. He needed someone to care for him, care about him. Caring about him came naturally to her and it didn't annoy him now as much as it used to. In fact, Carol thought he rather enjoyed it a lot of the time.

She sighed. She had spent enough time reflecting, now she had chores to get done before she took her turn at the fence.

…

It had taken a long time, but Daryl could finally see everything he had gained in the last year. He two people to thank for that: Merle for leaving him and Carol for not giving up on him. He had never realized how much influence Merle had on him. Before, Daryl had just gone along with whatever plan his brother thought up, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. It was easier that way. If you argue with Merle you had best be ready to take a whole lot of shit. He started out with insults or calling him Darylina. If Daryl didn't give in right away it usually escalated to a fist fight which he always lost because he really didn't want to hit his older brother, no matter how much of an asshole he was being.

Daryl thought back to when they had separated from Rick and the others after Woodbury. Merle had kept up a constant stream of insults and made his disappointment in Daryl perfectly clear. Still Daryl was determined to stick with him. Until the bridge. He hadn't hesitated to help those people. He had used the baby as excuse but Merle had been right about that. Even if there hadn't been a baby he would have helped them. That's who he was now. This world was shitty enough and hard enough people should be helping each other not killing each other.

The memory of Merle pointing the gun at that man on the bridge and then preparing to rob them still made his stomach clench in anger. Not long before Merle had made a point of showing how pathetic it was that Daryl and the others had rifled through empty houses to look for supplies but he was willing to rob and couple and their kids. They had both known that Daryl wouldn't pull the trigger when he had ordered Merle from the car but the fact that he had the balls to even tell his brother what to do let alone threaten him had made Merle take notice.

Daryl took a certain amount of pride in that. He knew right then that he didn't belong out there. He belonged with his family back at the prison, preparing for war against the Governor. When he finally realized that he wasted no time in heading back. Merle could come with him or not, it was his decision but Daryl was done taking responsibility for him. When his older brother had seen the scars on Daryl's back, something changed.

Merle would never admit it and Daryl would never say it out loud but he knew that he was stronger than Merle. He had been beaten and abused by his father since his mother died when he was seven years old. Daryl had his fair share of problems; insecurities, an aversion to being touched, anger. But he had moved past that and made friends. More important than that he had met Carol. Without her he didn't believe he would have been able to truly become a part of their group.

No matter what he did or said, she refused to give up on him. The more he resisted the more determined she became to make him see himself as she saw him: a good and honorable man. Carol was the first person in his life to ever really care about him. Daryl was ashamed that he had left her to be with his brother. Why had he been so willing to give up her kindness for Merle's hatefulness? He tried not to show it but he enjoyed her attention. The way she would seek him out if he was spending too much time alone. How she would make sure he ate when he might otherwise forget. He loved her quiet strength.

Daryl sat there on his bunk and dropped his head into his hands. There was one thing Daryl knew for sure. Despite all that she scared the hell out of him.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: First of all I want to thank everyone for reading and an especially big thanks to those who have reviewed and followed this story! I am truly amazing at the response Changes has received and I am so happy you are enjoying it. I plan to respond to every review but I'm currently on my 9_****_th_****_ day in a row working so I won't get to that until the end of the week. Just please know how much I value all of the kind responses! _**

**_This chapter is a little shorter than the previous two but it just seemed conclude perfectly where it is. I expect there will only be one more chapter to this story but depending on the way it goes and the response there may be a sequel in the near future. _**

**_Also, I do not have a beta so I proof my own writing so if there are any obviously mistakes or discrepancies please feel free to let me know. All mistake are mine but there characters are just on loan for a little while…Happy Reading!_**

**Chapter 3**

Daryl lifted his head when he heard her unmistakable footsteps moving swiftly across the block and stood up to watch her from just inside his cell. Carol looked pissed. He smiled wondering just what it was that his dear brother had managed to say that aggravated her so quickly. He probably wouldn't need to worry about Merle moving in on his woman after all. Daryl straightened suddenly, bracing his hand on the bars in front of him. When the hell had he started thinking of Carol as his woman?

He watched as she climbed the stairs gracefully. She had taken a cell close to the perch on the top level while he's been gone. He assumed it was for some privacy from the rest of the group below as well as being close to the area where she worked for much of the day. She disappeared into her cell and he considered walking down there to talk to her but he really had no idea what he would say. Daryl didn't talk much normally but he was even more close-mouthed around Carol. She made him nervous and when he was nervous he tended to say stupid things.

Years before he had heard a say that went something like, "it's better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." He had decided that was one quote worth paying attention to but at moments like these he wished he had the ability to have a normal conversation with her. Daryl wanted to be able to walking into her cell and talk to her, make her smile, maybe even laugh as she had done for him the day after he got back.

Beth's words replayed in his mind. Carol and Axel had become close? If they were so close then why would Beth be angry with him for leaving Carol?

Daryl remembered seeing her as he walked through the prison gates with Merle and Rick. She stood there with her rifle hanging from her shoulder watching them with an unreadable look on her face. As his had gaze traveled over her he saw the blood splatter on her face, neck, and arms. His heart nearly stopped at the thought of her being injured. Carol seemed to be moving fine though and not showing any hint of pain. He had walked over to her and touched her shoulder, waiting until she looked into his eyes.

"You hurt?"

She looked confused. "No. Why?"

Daryl lowered his eyes, looking at the blood staining her shirt and drying on her skin. He touched a finger to her collarbone. "You got blood on you."

Carol had looked down at herself, seeming almost surprised. "Oh. It's not mine." She suddenly looked up at him and he realized how close there were standing but she seemed not to notice. "It's Axel's." It had hit him them that she was probably in a mild state of shock. Then he was being pulled away from her with Rick and Glen trying to get everyone back inside.

The sound of movement from the perch interrupted his thoughts and he sensed he had missed yet another opportunity as he saw Carol carry a box of clean clothes to the perch. She settled in to folding and sorting the clothing.

'To hell with it,' he thought to himself. Time to stop being such a chicken shit. Daryl grabbed his crossbow and started making his way to where Carol stood. As he got closer she looked up and gave him a small smile.

"Hey."

"Hey." He leaned against the railing, watching her. "Sorry 'bout Axel." That wasn't entirely true. He was sorry if Axel's death had hurt her but Daryl was glad the Governor had killed the inmate instead of the woman standing next to him.

Carol put down the shirt she was folding and sighed. "Thanks." She looked up at him and he thought she would say more but she just went back to folding.

"So…you were…close?" He cringed at the jealously he heard in his own gruff voice.

She glanced up in surprise and shook her head. "No. Not really. We had talked some. We were talking when…when he was killed, actually. But we weren't close." He felt and unreasonable sense of relief at her words.

Daryl leaned his crossbow against the wall behind him and took a step toward her. Her eyes widened when he took her hand. "I'm glad you're okay." He hesitated, unsure of himself, then quickly leaned forward and kissed her softly on the mouth. Her hand tightened on his and after a moment she returned his kiss, tentative but when he felt her free hand grab the front of his shirt to hold onto him he gained confidence. Using their linked hands he pulled her closer while he ran his other hand up her arm and along the graceful column of her neck before grasping the back of her head to deepen the kiss.

He opened his mouth slightly and ran his tongue across her lips but pulled back when he heard Carol gasp, suddenly afraid that this wasn't what she wanted. He didn't get far before she fisted her hand in his shirt and pulled him back to her. They stood there for a moment, foreheads pressed together, trying to get their breathing under control. Daryl could see the surprise on her face and felt himself flush. He really hadn't meant for it to happen that way but it had felt…natural. While he was kissing her everything felt right and he could kick himself for resisting this feeling for so long.

The surprise on Carol's face faded and he was rewarded with a smile so brilliant he couldn't help but smile back at her. Using the hand at the back of her head, he brought her forward for another kiss but was interrupted by the sound of applause coming from below. Daryl closed his eyes as he felt heat climb up his neck and into his face. When he looked at Carol again he saw the pink in her cheeks too and worry in her eyes. She was afraid he would push her away.

His eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened, angry with himself for all the times he had hurt her that had put that uncertainty between them. She started to pull away, assuming his anger had to do with being caught kissing her but he yanked her back to him and gave her another quick, hard kiss. He whispered in her ear and then in one fluid motion released her, picked up his crossbow and gave their audience the bird before stalking back to his cell.

…

Carol watching in amazement as Daryl directed his middle finger and the small group gathered at the bottom of the stairs and then stomped to his cell. Her right hand pressed against her chest, trying calm her rapid heartbeat while she touched her lips with the fingers of her left hand. She barely heard the laughter and shouts of encouragement from Glen, Maggie, and Beth. Rick was down there as well but he only smiled at her and walked back to the common room passing Merle on his way. Merle caught her gaze, grinned and gave her a thumbs up before turning to follow Rick.

Carol felt her face flush. Daryl had actually kissed her. While the first kiss was amazing, the second kiss held the most meaning because he knew he was kissing her in front of the others. He was never one to put anything on display but still he kissed her. She couldn't help the huge smile that broke free as she watched Beth run up the stairs towards her, the young girl's excitement plain on her face. Carol braced herself as Beth barreled into her, throwing her arms around the older woman.

"I knew it!" Beth whispered fiercely. Carol suddenly remembered the "condolences" Beth had offered her in the kitchen earlier. In front of Daryl. Her eyes widened and she took a step back to look at the blonde.

"Beth!" The girl just grinned back at her and spun around, heading back down the stairs to take Judith from Maggie. Carol was going to have to keep an eye on that girl. She'd had no idea how devious Beth was, she thought with a grin of her own. Deciding the show was over, the group below scattered and Carol was left alone on the perch with a box of clothes she suddenly had no interest in folding. She briefly considered leaving it for later, wanting nothing more than to go back to her cell and relive the last few minutes all over again. She had never been a procrastinator though, so she sighed deeply as she went back to folding and sorting. Besides, she could day dream while doing laundry. She had learned that years ago and it had become her favorite escape for a long time.

Carol smiled while she worked, thinking of their first kiss. His lips and hands on her had felt like heaven. Much better than she had imagined, when she allowed herself to do so, which hadn't been often. She had never entertained the idea that something would actually happen between her and Daryl. Not in a romantic sense anyway. They'd become best friends and she was prepared for that to be the extent of their relationship. There had been no use in torturing herself with thoughts she couldn't act on.

Now, though, her mind flooded with images of them together. Some tender and romantic which made her smile. Carol didn't seem to be able to stem the flow of her thoughts and they became increasingly sexual causing a flush in her face and heat spreading throughout her body. Then she allowed herself to focus on the words he had whispered in her ear before kissing her for the second time and she grinned in anticipation.

_'Meet me in the showers at midnight.'_

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Again, a great big THANK YOU to everyone reading and/or reviewing! It means so much to me that you are loving this story as much as I am… I have bad news though…I couldn't finish the story in chapter 4 so there will be another one coming._**

**_A special note to those reviews I can't respond to:_**

**_Cindy005 – Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. I love writing for these two and I'm so glad there are so many people enjoying this story!_**

**_As always – Happy Reading!_**

Chapter 4

Daryl stood outside the shower wanted to bang his head against the wall. Glen had showed up early to relieve him from watch so he had some time before Carol got there. What the hell had he been thinking? Telling her to meet him in the _showers_ of all places! At the time it was only private place he could think of where they could talk but after thinking about it all day it had occurred to him that choosing the showers may have implied he wanted more than talking to happen. Especially after he had just kissed her.

Shit. Of course he wanted more than talking but he needed more time to figure this out. A voice in the back of his head reminded him that he'd already had more than a year to figure this out and he needed to stop wasting time.

He hadn't seen Carol since the perch and he could only imagine what she had thought when he told her to meet him there and then kissed her again. He groaned and smacked his head back against the wall. What would she be expecting? A declaration of love? Sex? He _did _love her but he wasn't ready to say it. He was barely ready to admit it to himself. He was more than ready for sex, at least physically. He'd been thinking about her, dreaming about her and what he wanted to do with her as long as he could remember.

But it wouldn't just be sex and that was why he was so nervous, why he still wasn't ready. This shit was way too complicated. Daryl closed his eyes and immediately saw her face, the surprise, the happiness, and something else…want. Carol wanted him. She knew him better than anyone ever had, even Merle, and still she wanted him.

He had always pushed her away and was even cruel to her to keep her from getting close because he had known even then that he could love her. Carol hadn't allowed him to keep her away though. Through every insult, every unkind word, she stood by him. She stood up for him when she wouldn't even stand up for herself. Everyone, including him, had thought she was weak, when it turned out she was the strongest of any of them.

Daryl didn't know much about her life before the turn but he knew the abuse from her husband had gone on long before the Quarry. He knew from experience that kind of abuse took years to develop and perfect as it were. He remembered to the first time he noticed her, before Rick had shown up. She and Sophia had been at the water, washing clothes and talking quietly to one another. Daryl had been on the other side of the water cleaning his weapons and he looked up at their soft laughter. He felt a smile cross his face as he watched them. She was a good mother, he could tell. Sophia was always quiet but she was unfailingly polite and he could see the happiness on her face when she was with her mother.

Then he noticed Ed moving up behind them and he wanted to call out a warning but he kept him mouth shut, reminding himself that it was none of his business. He regretted that decision immediately when Ed stepped up behind his wife and with a look of satisfaction put his cigarette out on the side of her neck. Daryl had been frozen to the spot, watching the look of horror and fear on the young girl's face as her mother jerked away from her husband with a hand to her neck. Carol never made a sound other than a soft whimper the entire time. Backing away from Ed, she grabbed Sophia's arm and went to her knees in the water. She pushed her daughter behind her and Ed laughed.

"You two need to stop your jawin' and get this shit done." He looked at Sophia who was peeking out from behind her mother. "I got somethin' for you to help me with in the tent, girl. C'mon." He gestured for her to come out of the water but Daryl saw her Carol's hand tighten on her daughter and her back go rigid.

"No, Ed," she was speaking so quietly Daryl almost didn't hear her. "Anything you need to do in the tent, you can do by yourself. Sophia is helping me with the laundry." Daryl blinking in surprise. Surely, the woman knew she would pay for talking back to him. Even so she would do whatever she had to in order to keep him from hurting his own daughter. Right then he knew she was stronger and braver than anyone gave her credit for.

Ed had been killed not long after that and Daryl had watched her sob while slamming that pickaxe into his head over and over. He thought the tears were probably relief that the abuse would be over and she would never again have to worry that he would molest their daughter when she wasn't able to protect her.

After they left the Quarry he had watched her from a distance as she cared for the two children and did what she knew to help; laundry, cooking, and cleaning up after everyone. As far as he could tell, Carol had to survival skills at all and he knew she was ashamed that she couldn't do more for the group. She tried to make up for it the best she could though.

There had been only two times he thought she would truly break: at the CDC when Jenner had refused to let them out and she had begged for her daughter's life and the day the found Sophia in the barn. But she didn't break. Instead, she had saved them all both times. He had been shocked when she stepped toward Rick and said she had something that would help. Daryl had nearly laughed aloud when she present the deputy with that grenade. That woman was something else, alright. After Sophia…well she had saved the group again by saving Daryl himself.

Daryl wasn't foolish enough to think that they couldn't survive without him, of course they could. But he had saved all of their lives at one point or another just as they had saved his. He had no doubt that if Carol hadn't kept at him, trying to make him see himself as a good man and valuable to the group he would have left or just continued on as he had; the angry redneck no one wanted to be around. She saw past that and wouldn't let him go no matter how hard he pushed her away or how cruel he was to her.

Yes, she was the strongest of any of them and she made them stronger just with her presence, though most of them never realized how much they relied on her to be there. Carol had been right when she'd said that he had come a long way but he was still so nervous and unsure of himself with her. He rubbed his hands over his face. Daryl could barely keep eye contact with her for more than a few seconds or even speak more than a handful of words. What the hell had he been thinking telling her to meet him in the goddamn showers?

Before he could berate himself further he heard a faint sound in the shower room behind him and immediately came away from the wall, crossbow at the ready. Daryl stopped breathing for a moment, listening for the sound again. Someone – or something – was moving around in there. Reaching out one hand, he eased the door open and seeing nothing he stepped inside. He cocked his head to the side, listening again, and the sounds began to separate themselves. Water was dripping from one of the stalls around the corner and he took a step in that direction when another sound reached his ears. Humming.

Shit. Carol was already here. In the showers. Humming. He felt the blood rush to his face and decidedly lower. Daryl swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat and he stood frozen as he heard the sound of her soft footsteps moving toward him. She would round the corner and see him any second now. He fought the unreasonable urge to turn tail and run, gritting his teeth against the sudden panic. And then she was there. He grinned when she saw him and nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Dammit, Daryl!" She threw her soap at him and then pressed a hand to her chest. He caught the soap deftly out of the air and let his crossbow swing down to rest against his leg while he took her in. Carol hair was wet and sticking up in all directions. Her shirt was clinging to her damp skin and she carried her shower bag. He walked over to her and handed her back the soap and she looked at him accusingly. "You're early."

"Yeah. Glen showed up early. I was waitin' outside until I heard ya movin' around in here." He suddenly couldn't remember what he had been worrying about. This was _Carol _for Christ's sake. Now that they were together again all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss her senseless. Daryl watched her put the soap back into her bag and walk over to the table to set it down. He saw her take a deep breath before turning to him.

…

After obsessing all day about their kiss and what it would mean not to mention _Daryl_ telling her to meet him in the _showers_ Carol finally had come to her senses. As much as she loved the thought of Daryl suddenly realizing they should be together and him sweeping her off her feet she had to be realistic. This was Daryl. Shy, uncertain, wonderful – Daryl. Yes, he had kissed her. Yes, he had told her, not asked her, but told her to meet him in the showers _at midnight_. But this was still her Daryl. When she thought about it she realize this was one of the few places that would afford them some privacy and that must be why he chose it. The time of night would be for the same reason.

While she had been disappointed with the realization, Carol had to admit that it made more sense than the romance novel scenario she would have loved. Knowing him as she did, she was also fairly certain he had been kicking himself ever since, worrying about what she would think. Worrying that she would want more than he was ready to give. She was proud of the fact that she knew him better than he gave her credit for. After all, she hadn't come so far in their relationship without knowing when to push and when to back off. It was a slow and agonizing process but he was well worth it.

She loved him so much her heart ached but she had resigned herself to settling with friendship. And if that was what he wanted, if he wanted to forget about the kiss and go back to the way things were, she would do her best to try. Having Daryl as her friend, her best friend, was better than being without him completely. So she decided that she would arrive early and get cleaned up. She had missed her scheduled shower the day before and felt entirely too grubby. So at eleven she had grabbed her things, checked in on Beth and Judith, and headed for the showers. Then she spent the next several minutes debating on what shower stall to use. Normally she would choose the one closest to the door to keep an eye out for threats but she didn't want Daryl to walk in on her by accident and think that she was trying to tease him or talk him into something he wasn't ready for.

Finally she decided on prudence over safety and went to the last shower stall where she couldn't be seen from the door. When it came time to decide whether or not to shave her legs prudence went out the window and she grinned to herself.

_Just in case I'm completely wrong_.

When she finished showering and drying off, she looked at her choice of clothing. Again, chosen to keep Daryl from being uncomfortable. Her standard tank top and cargo pants. Nothing provocative, no matter how much she wanted to wear something skimpy to finally push him into doing something she didn't want him to regret it. That would hurt more than him never doing anything at all. With a sigh she got dressed and gathered up her things. Carol was lost in her thoughts as walked back to the table so when she came around the corner, face to face with Daryl and his crossbow she nearly had a heart attack.

"Dammit, Daryl!" She plucked her soap bottle from her back and threw it at him, "You're early!" To her irritation he reached up and caught the soap out of the air and walked over to hand it back, bringing the crossbow to his side. Carol was shocked to see that he was grinning at her.

"Yeah. Glen showed up early. I was waitin' outside until I heard ya movin' around in here." His smile was making her nervous and she looked away putting the soap back into her bag before walking over to put it on the table. She had spent all day worrying about _him_ being nervous and how she was determined to put him at ease and now here they were and _her _nerves were suddenly shot. What the hell. Carol took a deep steadying breath and turned back to him.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Once again, THANK YOU for reading and following this story. I am so happy that you are enjoying at much as I have loved writing it. It was hard to finish this story. I always have a hard time with finding a place to end. Thank you for all the support and kind words and as usual; Happy Reading!**

Chapter 5

Carol turned and leaned back against the table, bracing her hands next to her hips. She had no idea what to say to him and she was almost afraid of what he would say to her. Gathering her courage, she looked up at him as he took a couple of tentative steps toward her. His body was tense, which she had expected. What she did not expect was the mixture of worry and longing on his handsome face. Just that look made her feel as though a huge weight had been lifted and Carol smiled at him. Carol hadn't realized until that moment how afraid she had been that he would take it back and return to being distant. She had told herself all day she would be okay, if he wanted to forget that morning she would be able to. She now knew she had been lying to herself.

Her smile seemed to bolster his confidence and Daryl moved forward until he stood directly in front of her. He leaned forward to put his crossbow next to her bag, just brushing against her in the process. Carol was slightly surprised that he leaned back but didn't step away from her. However, he had been full of surprises all day and she certainly wasn't complaining.

"Sorry I scared you," he said with smirk.

Carol couldn't help but laugh, "No, you aren't."

He ducked his head slightly. "Was kinda funny to see you jump like that," his smirk changing into the small half-smile she was used to.

She pursed her lips, trying to act annoyed but failing. "Payback's a bitch, you know."

Daryl's eyebrows lifted in surprise, "You think you can sneak up on me?"

"Daryl, you won't be able to hear me coming," she said, enjoying their easy banter. Then she noticed his eyes drop to her lips.

"Hmmm. I hope you're wrong about that." He lifted his eyes back up to meet hers which had widened in shock. Unconsciously, she licked her suddenly dry lips and swallowed hard. Unexpectedly, she couldn't think of a damn thing to say. When she didn't respond other than to stare at him and tighten her hands on the table behind her to keep from grabbing him, he flushed and started to back away. Without even thinking about it she let go of the table and reached for him, taking hold of his shirt to hold him in place.

"Don't go." Daryl stopped and looked at her warily and she sighed. They both had so much baggage and insecurities she had known this wouldn't come easy to either of them. Carol tugged on his shirt encouraging him to move closer while she took a step forward to meet him halfway. She let go of his shirt with her right hand and moved to cup his cheek. "I'm sorry. It isn't very often that I am completely speechless," she said with a light smile. "It's even less often than I can barely keep myself from jumping on you." She felt him relax a little but the worry hadn't left his face, though his smile returned.

She could tell he was embarrassed by his flirting but she didn't know how to make him more comfortable. Carol suddenly realized that for this to work, for them to be together, they would have to lay all their cards on the table.

"Daryl…do you trust me?" His eyes narrowed but he nodded slightly. She brought her left hand up to place against his other cheek. "Okay. You know that I trust you too, right?" Again, he nodded but still said nothing. "I trust you with my life every day," her eyes roamed his face, taking in every little detail. "I think it's time that I trust you with my heart too." Carol stopped, waiting to see how he was going to respond. For a moment neither of them moved and then finally he smiled.

He brought one hand up to cover hers and brought it to his lips, placing a light kiss on her palm. She turned her hand in his until their fingers were laced together and moved back to the table. Carol hopped up to sit in front of him and she pulled him towards her, positioning him between her knees. She let her hands rest lightly on his hips and he mimicked her actions. She had half expected him to resist such an intimate situation but he seemed ready to follow her lead. Carol felt that they needed the physical contact to keep each other anchored for what needed to be said.

"Daryl, I wish there was something I could say or do that would make all of this easier for the both of us. You should know…I am not good at this. Any of this. I want to be. I wish I was stronger and braver for you." Carol paused and closed her eyes, trying to stay calm. She was about to bare her sole to the only man she had ever loved and she thought she might end up having a panic attack instead. She felt his hand move from her hip and waited from him to back away from her but instead he trailed his fingers up her arm and slid his hand behind her neck. She knew he was waiting for her to open her eyes, so she did. His face was so close to her she could feel his breath against her lips, their noses almost touching.

"Woman, you are the strongest and bravest person I have ever known." She made a sound of protest and his hand tightened on her neck. "Ever. Okay?" Carol nodded, biting her lip. She didn't want to cry, dammit. "I ain't exactly a Romeo, ya know. I can't be like Glen is with Maggie or Rick was with Lori when things were good. I don't know how to be with a woman, I don't know if I can give you what you need."

She stopped him with a finger to his lips. "Daryl, all I need is you. All I want is you. I just need to know you really want this too." She took a deep breath. "And I need to know you won't shut me out or run away when things get tough. And they will get tough, ours pasts pretty much guarantee that," Carol smiled, a little sadly.

Daryl pulled her head toward him with the hand on the back of her neck and pressed his lips to hers. It was gentle kiss, full of promise, and it make her heart swell with hope. After a long moment he pulled back, but just slightly. He took a steadying breath and met her eyes with determination. "I want this. I want you, Carol. I know it's gonna be hard but I won't give you up without a helluva fight," he finished with a growl in his voice.

Carol searched his face and gave him a bright smile before she flung her arms around his neck and pulled him back for another kiss. This one wasn't so gentle. She touched her tongue to his lower lip and when he gasped in surprise she slipped it inside his mouth, slowly sliding her tongue against his before pulling back. Carol didn't make it very far before he groaned and yanked her back to him, sliding her to the edge of the table until their bodies were touching, his hips nestled firmly between her legs, his arms wrapped around her, one at her lower back and the other behind her neck. She could feel her breasts smashed against his chest with every breath she sucked in but only tightened her arms around his neck. She didn't want this moment to ever end.

…

Daryl angled her head to give him better access and nipped at her bottom lip before pushing his tongue into her mouth, sensually exploring her, tasting her. He felt like he could kiss her forever. He loved the feeling of her fingers in his hair, massaging his scalp. He groaned when she suddenly wrapped her legs around his hips and brought him even closer. Daryl felt a twinge of embarrassment that he was already hard but that evaporated when Carol groaned as he came into contact with her center. In response she jerked his hips forward, rubbing against her while pushing his tongue further into her mouth.

Finally, they broke apart, both needed desperately to catch their breath. Daryl buried his face against her neck and held her tightly. He could feel her struggling to get her breathing under control and was glad she was as affected by their kisses as he was. He was almost overwhelmed by how good she smelled and felt in his arms. It was an overload of sensations. When he could finally speak again, his voice was lower and raspier than normal. "You smell so good."

Carol's fingers tightened in his hair. "So do you." Daryl barked out a short laugh and leaned back to look at her incredulously.

"I do not smell good." She started to argue but he interrupted her. "Woman, I haven't showered in three days, I spent all day sweating in the guard tower, and I went hunting yesterday. I do not smell good."

Carol laughed lightly. "Okay, okay. So you don't smell like roses." He lifted a brow at her. "And you could use a bath," she conceded with a grin. She looked down at the grime that had transferred from his dirty clothes to her clean ones. "And I might need another one at this point," she said, laughing again.

Daryl felt a lightness in his chest at hearing her easy laugh. He didn't want to let her go but they both needed to get cleaned up and…and then what? He felt a moment of panic, not knowing what was going to happen next. He tried to tamp it down, remembering they would work through this together.

He moved away a little and moved his hands back to her face, tilting her head so he could train a series of kisses along her throat and jaw, finally moving to her mouth for a light peck. He smiled when she pouted a little.

"Go get cleaned up again. I'll run upstairs and grab us some clean clothes and come back for my turn." He held his breath waiting for her reaction. The hard bulge in his pants gave away the fact that he wanted her but he hoped she would realize he wasn't ready to take that step yet. She smiled softly and he let go of the breath he was holding.

"Sounds like a good plan." She looked at him, suddenly shy. "We don't have to rush this, Daryl."

Running a finger over her cheekbone, he spoke softly. "But you're mine. And I'm yours. We're…together. Right?" He hated that he sounded so unsure of himself but she just grinned at him.

"Definitely. We're together." She frowned suddenly. "What about the other's, Daryl? What do we tell…I mean…do we…" She growled in frustration and huffed out a breath. "Are we keeping _us _a secret?"

He thought about it for a moment and then remember their very public kiss earlier in the day. "I don't think we need to make an announcement or nothin' but I don't wanna keep it a secret. I'm proud that you wanna be with me, Carol." It was his turn to frown. "Unless you wanna keep it secret…"

"No. I don't want us to be a secret."

"Okay." He ran his fingers through her hair and leaned in for another quick kiss. "I'll be right back with clean clothes." He released her, picked up his crossbow, and with one last look at her still sitting on the table watching him, walked out into the hallway.

Daryl headed back to C-block, happier than he could ever remembering being and finally looking forward to the future. His future with Carol.

…

Fin.

**_2_****_nd_****_ A/N: I want to thank everyone again for keeping with this story. It was really difficult to finish and there may be a sequel in the future. Also a great big Thank You to everyone who reviewed – it really means a lot to me to hear back from readers._**


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